Daydreaming again

By Harry Emanuel Last updated: 26th May 2010

I don't know about you but I love daydreaming. After playing a top golf course or watching a Major tournament occasionally the mind wanders and I find myself battling with Tiger Woods down the stretch and holing a putt to become the first amateur since Bobby Jones in 1930 to win The Open.

Even for the majority of professional golfers (and if you think about there are 10,000s around the globe) qualifying for an Open is a dream come true. There is only a very small elite for which such opportunity is the norm.

Just take Martin Laird who qualified for the Open at St Andrews earlier this week: "It's the one I always dreamed about as a kid."

On Monday the European sectional for US Open qualifying went ahead at Walton Heath giving 11 players the chance to live the dream at Pebble Beach in a few weeks' time.

For us mere mortals it presents a golden betting opportunity. Our betting experts, the two Daves, have both picked players this week who did well in the qualifiers.

That's the two Daves, not Chas N' Dave, although I do have an image of them in the office with Dave John on the electronic keyboard and the Wise One on guitar singing to the sound track of Snooker Loopy.

Golf loopy nuts are we, me and him and them and me, we'll show you what we can make, with a load of balls and old niblick.

And then ramping it up for the chorus. Hit the driver then, from the tee, hit iron wedge for a one putt, birdie. Golf loopy nuts are we, we are all golf loopy.

It's probably me that's slightly loopy. Meandering back to reality I agree with their thinking but feel they might not have got it quite right.

Looking at the best finishes of the US Open qualifiers from Walton Heath in their next tournament we find - in 2009 Jose Manuel Lara was 8th, in 2008 Robert Dinwiddie, Ross McGowan and Ross Fisher all finished 10th, in 2007 Mikko Ilonen was 6th and Nick Dougherty 8th and in 2006 Philip Archer and Graeme Storm were 5th and 7th.

Nothing earth shattering but if we look at how the qualifiers fared during the first round we get some interesting results - 2009 Peter Hanson 2nd, 2008 Ross McGowan 5th, 2007 Paul Lawrie 1st and 2006 Philip Archer 1st. It pays to back the qualifiers to be first round leaders.

This week's runners (with R1 leader odds in brackets) are Gary Boyd (225/1), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (100/1), Rhys Davies (55/1), Rafael Echenique (175/1), Gregory Havret (150/1), Jean Francois Lucquin (150/1), and James Morrison (90/1). Karlberg, Martin, Maybin and Ilonen are not playing this week.

The weather forecast suggests the early starters in round one might have an advantage so Boyd and Morrison may struggle. It's difficult to narrow it down further as they have all led tournaments in their careers - Davies (4/74), Echenique (3/167), Havret (3/286), Lucquin (4/285) and Cabrera- Bello (1/137).

Given Davies is a recent winner, a winner on the Challenge Tour in Spain and finished a creditable 48th at this week's course in just his third European Tour start after opening with a 76 he must go close. Lucquin led the Open de Madrid after the first round in 2006 so he ranks as the next best bet but at the prices I'll be backing them all.

The big tournament this week is the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club where half of the top ten players in the world are in action. In another 'Going for Gold' moment I will reveal the man I've got my eye on using the answers from Q and A session I did with him at The Players in 2008.

Who am I?

4 points: First job? I worked on a paper route. How much did you get paid? I can't remember but whatever it was it wasn't enough I had to get up at 4.30. First car? Oldsmobile station wagon. When did you first break par? 13 maybe, at my home club, I was such a short kid I had to really on my chipping and putting so much. Last week he topped the putting stats at the Texas Open.

3 points: Am or pm? Definitely pm. Bentgrass or Bermuda? Bent (Bent this week at Colonial). Fade or draw? Draw (5 holes on back nine at Colonial favour a draw). Favourite club? Sand wedge (he ranks 12th in GIR from 75-100 yards). Ryder Cup or FedEx Cup? FedEx Cup for the cash. Beer or champagne? Beer. Music or movies? Music. Sun or snow? Sun. Comedy or tragedy? Comedy. He went to the University of Kentucky.

You're playing catch up.

2 points: "When I get on a roll I can really play some golf." He was 8th last time out. He had only two top 10s in 09 but both came in the space of three tournaments. He was 5th in the 2008 Masters and won two tournaments from five events at back end of 2007.

1 point: He was 'Rookie of the Year' in 1998. He is the only left hander to get hole in one on the 12th hole at Memorial (2000) which is his favourite shot of all time at his favourite tournament that he calls 'my fifth major because it's my home event.' He won at Colonial in 2004.

Time's Up. It's Steve Flesch and he is available at 100/1. Remember the last 'Going for Gold' pick was a week early so keep an eye out for him at Memorial next week.

I noticed Henry Kelly is on the after dinner speaker circuit and if Steve Flesch wins I'll hire his services and at least one my daydreams can come true.

Harry Emanuel